If you have a swimming pool or spa in your home, you will know the importance of maintenance. Proper maintenance can help keep your pool and spa in a good condition. You already have a filtration system that keeps water in circulation and the pool clean. A question that may come up is, when you have such a system, should you drain the water from your pool or spa? If you drain out all the water, how often should you do it? The answers to your questions are explained in this article.
Why Drain Out Water?
If you have a pool or spa, the water gets circulated after cleaning, thanks to your filtration system. Essentially, it is the same water that is being used, filtered, and re-used. Is there a need to drain out all the water, so you can add fresh water? The answer is yes! It needs to be done. The reasons for this are:
- Old water that remains for many months can cause problems. Even though they are being filtered, it may not be sufficient.
- Various contaminants can enter the water. This may be in the form of detergents from your bathing suit, your sweat, creams, and lotions from your body, and saliva.
- There is even a risk of urine and fecal matter entering your pool. While no one introduces such a matter in the pool deliberately, it can happen. Someone who gets into the pool early morning without a shower can introduce all these contaminants into the pool. Children are likely to bring dirt from all over the house into the pool.
- If you have a spa and are heating water, then you must know your sweat, lotion, fragrances, and everything else from your skin is getting mixed into the water. Even dead skin falls off your body into the water. The heat in the water ensures all these substances build up in the pool.
- Pollen, dust particles, insects, animal excreta, and many other contaminants from the environment can enter your pool.
- Over time, these contaminants build up, and your filtration system may not be able to effectively clean all this.
Concept Of TDS (Total Dissolved Solids)
The previous section spoke about various contaminants and solids that could accumulate in your swimming pool or spa. Those that are visible can be removed. There are many such solids not visible to the naked eye. These are referred to as TDS or Total dissolved solids. TDS is heavy in nature and settles in your pool. Normally, when water evaporates due to the sun’s heat, some contaminants may get removed. TDS, however, does not disappear. It remains in your pool and keeps accumulating over time.
TDS over time can cause corrosion of metal inside your pool. If you do not take action, TDS will build to such high levels that it would affect the water in the pool. The tiles of your pool may also be damaged due to excess mineral deposits. Even though you run your filtration system, you will find water looking cloudy. It can affect the look of your pool. Ultimately, you won’t feel like stepping into the pool.
Is there a chemical you can add to water to remove TDS? No! There is nothing you can do to remove TDS from the water. Adding chemicals only leads to increased TDS levels. TDS is now part of your swimming pool contained in the water. The only way to remove it is to drain out all the water from your pool or spa completely. This would have clearly helped you understand why you should drain your pool. It needs to be done to remove TDS that could harm your pool and make it unfit for use.
When To Drain Your Pool?
The answer would be obvious from what was discussed so far. You need to drain your pool when TDS levels become high and start to affect the water in the pool. You must note that TDS does not build up in a space of days or weeks. It takes many months and years. You don’t have to worry about draining your pool every few months. You need to do it once a few years as TDS accumulates over a long time.
How do you decide that it is time to drain your pool? To decide this, you need to find out how much TDS has accumulated. You can either get a professional to come and do a test of your pool water or do it yourself. You can buy a TDS meter, which is a simple device. It measures TDS levels in your pool water. It is simple and easy to use. This is how you use it:
- When you first install your pool or fill it with fresh water, take a TDS reading. Most TDS meters are so simple that you just need to insert the tip into the water and wait a few seconds. The TDS level will be displayed in the screen. Note down this initial TDS reading. You can keep a small book for pool maintenance where you can note the readings.
- Repeat this every month or two months. During summer or the holiday season, your pool will be used more and the chances of more TDS accumulating are high. In such times, you can take the reading every 15 days.
- Keep observing the reading. When it crosses 1,000 then it is time to take action. A TDS level of 1000 ppm or parts per million is the general indicator to drain the water completely from the pool. Usually, it may take around 4-6 years for the TDS levels to cross this reading. It can vary from one place to another and depends on various factors.
When To Drain Your Spa?
You need a slightly different approach while dealing with TDS in your spa. Since the water in the spa is hot, sweat and other elements like cosmetics lead to a faster build-up of TDS. The spa is likely to be used by more than one person leading to a greater build-up of TDS. You need to take the TDS readings more frequently than a pool.
For a spa, the target reading would be 1,500 ppm. It is more than in the case of a pool because of the nature of the spa. Once you find the reading is 1,500 ppm, then you need to drain all the water and fill it with fresh water. You may need to change spa water once in 4 to 6 months. This again is not a constant figure and can vary.
Draining The Water
Draining all the water from a pool or spa is not as easy as it sounds. Not doing it properly can affect the pool working. You need to pump out water using hoses and a sump pump. Make sure the hydrostatic valve is opened. The pump can’t drain out the water. Whatever little remains need to be removed manually. You can then clean the pool and then fill it with fresh water.
Draining water from a pool needs to be done carefully to prevent serious damage to your pool. It is best that you use the services of professionals to get it done in the best possible way.
